Kickass Torrents’ KAT.ph domain seized by Philippine authorities

Local record labels and the Philippine Association of the Recording Industry said that the torrent site was doing “irreparable damages” to the music industry and following a formal complaint the authorities resorted to seize of the main domain name. The torrent site hasn’t given up and is operating as usual under a new domain name.

The torrent site’s main domain name KAT.ph ran into trouble yesterday and it was believed that the control of the domain name was no longer with the original owners. The Government of Philippines has confirmed that the domain name has been seized based on formal complaints and copyright grounds. UK courts have already ordered a similar blocked back in March effective the same month.

Philippine Intellectual Property Office issued a 72-hour suspension order of KAT.ph earlier this week. At the time it was declared that the order, which was signed by the IPO Bureau of Legal Affairs, will become final if the domain owners don’t appeal.

There are all the chances that even though the local record labels were the ones who filed a formal complaint US based record labels may be the ones who are applying the actual pressure. Philippines has been on the copyright “watch list” of the US according to the latest Special 301 Report.

“The United States looks to the Philippines to take important steps to address piracy over the Internet, in particular with respect to notorious online markets,” the Office of the United States Trade Representative wrote in its report.